This short review aims to put the diagnostic options provided by state-of-the-art POCT  technology into perspective with the clinical challenges faced by physicians treating patients presenting with acute dyspnea.  Natriuretic peptides, hemoglobin, D-dimers and venous blood gases play a key role in the early...

Sampling capillary blood from the fetal scalp during labor of pregnancy, in order to determine its pH, was introduced to obstetric care in the late 1960s.  Despite current skepticism surrounding its utility, most notably in the US, fetal-scalp blood sampling (FSBS) is still considered a useful fetal monitoring test...

Point-of-care pathology testing is becoming increasingly common in hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices; anywhere where time is critical and results are required at the patient’s side.  However, results must be accurate and reproducible to be meaningful, and it is imperative that a close eye is kept on...

CO-oximetry provides the means for automated spectrophotometric measurement of the concentration of total hemoglobin (ctHb) in blood and the percentages of the four hemoglobin derivatives that total hemoglobin comprises: oxyhemoglobin (O₂Hb); deoxyhemoglobin (HHb); carboxyhemoglobin (COHb); and methemoglobin (MetHb)....

The management at the emergency department of patients presenting with symptoms of chest pain and/or acute dyspnea accounts for a substantial proportion of emergency care resources. In the work-up of these patients the blood measurements of cardiac troponins and brain natriuretic peptides are recommended by current...

Neonates nearly always experience their single largest day of blood loss on the day of birth due to admission laboratory testing. The term "admission laboratory testing" refers to the initial blood tests done when a baby is born and admitted to the NICU.  Total circulating blood volume in a 3.5 kg term newborn is 280...

Ensuring adequate oxygen delivery to tissues is a prime objective of acute/critical medical care. There is no routinely available method for directly monitoring tissue oxygenation; instead clinicians must depend on available indirect measures. Although not the only factor to be considered, measurement of the amount of ...

In a regional top-management decision, our laboratory was given the mission to control and quality assure all POCT activities in a regional network of 10 hospitals with emergency units. Based on previous work, new region-wide recommendations, procurements,  IT connectivity, services, training, accreditation (ISO...

Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding is becoming an increasingly international issue.  Although the problem is not only resolved by ED change management (but rather requires a system-wide solution recognizing the complex interdependencies of consumer expectations, human resources, information systems immaturity and...

Few studies have addressed the predictive value of C-reactive protein at different cutoff values in appendicitis. We have determined the cutoff values for C-reactive protein levels at different periods during clinical evolution of appendicitis and established their use to support the diagnosis of appendicitis. The...